So, I'm just going to explain what's going to happen in this fic, without spoilers. It's set after adrift, and as though episode 12 and 13 of Season 2 didn't happen. It's karaoke night at the pub and the whole team go along. It's a turning point in Jack and Ianto's relationship. We'll be following them from one night a week – karaoke night. The same night might be used in two, three, maybe even four chapters, but I probably won't tell the story on another day. Karaoke night is on a Friday and it's about April in this chapter. I really hope you like it and reviews and comments would be much appreciated, even if you don't like it – I'm always looking to improve. Rated M just in case, but I'm not sure if I'll write anything M, but who knows. Just a precaution for when I write later chapters.
Also, Owen IS dead in this but I have him drinking and maybe eating in future chapters. I know he can't digest food but he can still taste it so, I thought, maybe he lets himself go once in a while just to taste it, or if he's out in public, especially in a pub, it can be suspicious if he isn't eating or drinking anything. If you don't like this idea that he can still eat and drink, tough. It's what I see him doing and that's the way it is.
Can I just say a big thanks to riftintime for some much needed advice, suggestions and giving me the confidence I very much needed to write this fic. I'm very self-conscious and I don't really believe in myself, but you've given me that, so thank you. I would also advice anyone who hasn't read any of riftintime's stuff that you ditch this and go read it NOW!
Chapter 1
"Good night!" Tosh's voice echoed through the Hub as she left for the night to join Owen and Gwen at the pub. They had left an hour and a half earlier but she'd needed to finish up on a project first so she had told them she'd meet them there.
As she left through the tourist office, Tosh had to pull her coat tighter around her body to keep warm from the cold night air. 'Typical Cardiff' she thought to herself. It started to rain so she picked up speed as she walked, rainwater splashing around her ankles.
She entered The White Hart and found Gwen and Owen sitting in a corner near a window. She made a mental note to herself to text Ianto after she bought her drink to remind him it as karaoke night; he secretly loved karaoke night, although he never admitted it.
Tosh brought her own drink along with refills for Gwen and Owen to their table and reached into her bag to find her phone. 'Dammit. Where is it?' Her phone was nowhere to be found. 'I must have left in the Hub.'
"What's wrong Tosh?" Owen asked.
"I think I've left my phone at the Hub, you didn't see it lying around anywhere did you?"
"No, sorry."
"The last I saw it, it was on your desk." Gwen said.
"Thanks." Tosh replied. "I'll be back in a bit."
"But you only just got here, at least finish your drink first!" Gwen protested.
"Tell you what." Owen said. "I'll go. I'm already on my third."
"Oh, no, there's no need, I can go-"
"Shut up and drink, I honestly don't mind. And I might be able to convince Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee to join us."
"Thanks." Tosh murmured, a shy smile playing on her lips.
"See you in a bit." Owen said as he left. Gwen raised her hand to wave slightly.
Lifting the hood of his leather jacket over his head and stuffing his hands into his trouser pockets, Owen made his way back to the Hub. Being dead, he didn't feel the cold, but it was raining and he still got wet. Despite that, he didn't rush, knowing full well Toshiko and Gwen would drag him onto the stage to sing as soon as he got back to the pub; something they did every karaoke night.
He headed straight to Tosh's workstation to look for her phone, but couldn't find it anywhere. He then looked on his own desk and Gwen's, but the phone was nowhere to be found.
At that moment, he heard movement coming from the Hub's kitchenette. Thinking he would ask Ianto if he had seen it, he headed straight there.
"Ianto," he called out. "Have you seen Tosh's phone? She thinks she left it here earli-" Owen stopped dead in his tracks. Owen was too shocked for words and, as though frozen, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight before him.
The two men in the kitchenette were both shirtless, tongues in each other's mouths. Jack was sitting on the counter, wearing only his underwear, his legs wrapped around Ianto's waist, a hand on the other man's belt buckle. Ianto had one hand in Jack's hair, the other down his underwear, caressing his arse. Both men stopped instantly when they heard Owen and turned to look at him.
"Bloody Hell, we eat in here! Jesus, you're like fucking rabbits, can't keep your hands off each other!" Owen shouted.
Ianto prised himself away from Jack, did up his belt and hastily went to collect the rest of his clothes.
"What do you want, Owen?" Jack asked bitterly, hopping down from the counter.
"I'll talk to you when you've got some fucking clothes on." Owen retorted.
"Yes, Mom." Jack replied sarcastically as Ianto returned from getting dressed.
"Owen, I'm sorry, I thought you'd gone to the pub. We were about to join you." Ianto told him.
"Yeah, looks like it." Ianto blushed. "Tosh left her phone here; you haven't seen it have you?"
"Ah, yeah, it's, um..."
"Where is it, Ianto?" Owen asked.
"If you're looking for Tosh's phone, I've found it!" Jack shouted from the kitchenette where he was now fully clothed.
"You didn't?" Owen asked, horrified. Ianto looked at his feet guiltily.
"So, karaoke night." Jack said excitedly putting on his great coat. He slapped Ianto's arse playfully and handed the phone over to Owen. He stared at the pair of them, holding hands, walking over to the invisible lift. He was speechless. "You coming or what?" asked Jack as the couple stepped onto the slab of concrete.
"Ah, yeah." Owen said, mentally slapping himself. 'What is wrong with you?' he thought to himself, stepping beside the two men. 'Screw that, what's up with them?'
They reached ground level and Jack and Ianto took off towards the pub, still holding hands, chatting and laughing like any normal couple. Owen trailed behind them, slightly confused by their unusual behaviour.
Owen sat down next to Tosh and handed over her phone, not once taking his eyes off Jack and Ianto, who were now ordering drinks.
"What's up with them?" Gwen asked, following Owen's gaze.
"I'm not sure" he muttered.
Gwen and Tosh looked at each other and shrugged. Jack and Ianto made their way over to the table, hand-in-hand. The other three stared at them dumbfounded. As they sat down, with Jack's arm around Ianto's shoulders, Ianto asked, "So, who's up for karaoke?" Gwen, Tosh and Owen just continued to stare. "What?" he asked, looking confused.
"Are you two okay?" Owen asked.
"If this is about earlier, just drop it." Jack said firmly.
"What happened earlier?" Gwen asked.
Ianto blushed. "Owen walked in on me and Jack…"
"Jesus Christ, you're at it like animals." Gwen said, cutting off the end of Ianto's sentence.
"I guess that makes all of us." Tosh pointed out. Owen looked at her. "We've all walked in on them now," she told him.
Jack chuckled and even Ianto gave a small, coy smile.
"So, where was it you walked in on them, Gwen?" Owen asked.
"The hot house. The look on Jack's face was brilliant!"
"Wait, WHAT?!"
"Trust me, if you think that's bad, you do not want to know where I saw them at it," Tosh said pointedly.
"AT IT? You actually saw them?" Owen asked, horrified.
"Having sex?" Jack asked. "Yep, it wasn't bad either."
"It was a bit cold," Ianto muttered while Jack laughed at the memory.
"But, where?" Even Gwen was intrigued.
"Well, let's just say… let's say she was looking for Owen," said Jack.
"You didn't? God, tell me you didn't," moaned Owen, Gwen and Tosh laughing at the smug look on Jack and Ianto's faces. "Bloody Hell, that's where I work every day! Please say you cleaned up after yourselves!" Owen begged.
"Of course I did, Owen." Ianto said, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, well, at least it wasn't on my desk." He said. Jack and Ianto shared a sly look that said otherwise. "Oh, no. You didn't?"
"It was a good night." Jack said, while Tosh and Gwen roared with laughter.
"I think I'm going to throw up, you know, if I wasn't dead." Owen groaned.
They had all been laughing so much at Owen's despair, they completely forgot about Jack and Ianto's odd behaviour. That was until about an hour later. The karaoke had started at about 8 o'clock, and they were now listening to an extremely drunk, 80 year old man who could barely string a few words together, let alone sing.
"So, anyone up for karaoke tonight? Or is it going to be just me and Tosh?" Ianto asked, wanting to show the audience what singing really sounded like.
"Count me in." Jack said. Everyone went silent. Jack never participated in karaoke night.
"Really?" Ianto asked, a smile creeping onto his face. Jack nodded. "I mean... really?" Ianto couldn't believe it.
"Yes!" Jack laughed. "But only if I get to duet with you." Jack winked.
Ianto put his right hand on the back of Jack's neck and pulled him in for a kiss before quickly getting up and racing like a kid in a fairground to put his and Jack's names down for karaoke. Jack chuckled to himself and took a sip from his drink while Gwen, Owen and Toshiko looked at him questioningly.
"Yes?" Jack said, looking at his team, slightly amused.
They all sat and looked at each other, still gaping, waiting for someone else to break the silence. Jack just continued to look at them questioningly. Eventually it was Gwen who spoke.
"So, um, everything's going, um, well, with you and Ianto, then?"
"You could say that." Jack smiled broadly.
"Oh my God, Captain Jack Harkness has fallen in love with the tea boy!" Owen said. Jack laughed while Gwen and Tosh gasped with delight.
"No way!" Gwen shouted. Jack nodded and grinned smugly.
"Have you told him?" Tosh asked, always thinking about other people.
"Of course I have!" Jack said, slightly offended.
"Oh, so that's why you've been acting strange all evening!" Gwen said.
"Sorry?" Jack didn't understand.
"Well, you know, you've been holding hands, kissing, flirting..."
"We do that all the time." Jack pointed out.
"Yes." Owen said. "But not in public."
"Jack! We're up." Ianto shouted from across the pub.
Jack finished his drink and said with a wink, "See ya later kids." He rushed over to Ianto's side, ready to take to the stage.